Postby Quaco » 21 Oct 2019, 20:27
I'm guessing that the "divide across the pond" is something along the lines of Stand Up's folk aspect being more interesting British people, and US people preferring Benefit as it seems to approach the more rock-oriented Aqualung...?
For me, there are great songs on both, especially towards the end of the album sides, oddly. "Back to the Family", "Look Into the Sun", "Reason for Waiting", "Alive and Well...", "Son", "For Michael Collins...", "Inside", and "Sossity..." are the top-notch of Jethro Tull songs to me -- and are all better than "A New Day Yesterday" and "Nothing Is Easy", which despite being on the earlier album seem to presage "Aqualung" and "Locomotive Breath" as "potboilers" and "live favorites". I voted for Benefit not because it's more or less folky or English, but because the side openers are better: somehow "To Cry You a Song" and "With You There to Help Me" both have that same bittersweet feeling as the acoustic tracks.
Probably a confusing rationale, but you may not have read it anyway, so it's OK!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -